SUBSCRIBE TO JAMES VS. BURGER

Beef Burger – Velvet Elvis, Glasgow

As you sit inside Velvet Elvis and look around, you’ll feel like you are slap bang in the middle of the infamous cantina scene from Star Wars due to the wide variety of people you’ll see there – young couples, families, pensioners, office workers and people from various walks of life fill up this popular, tucked away Partick hangout to catch up with friends and family, grab a couple of after work drinks or enjoy a home-cooked meal. It’s the lively atmosphere together with the quirky mismatched surroundings, great food and friendly staff that make Velvet Elvis a place where you’ll be hard pushed to find an empty seat but very happy once you do.

The Velvet Elvis burger.

Velvet Elvis gives off a real neighbourhood bar vibe and plenty of things to keep your attention as you wait for your food to arrive. It’s set in the surroundings of an original 1910 butchers’ shop complete with meat hooks and a real vinyl jukebox cranking out a wide mix of fantastic music – perfect to enjoy your food or drinks with. Many of our readers had recommended Velvet Elvis’ burger and since it has been regarded as one of Glasgow’s best for several years now, we both couldn’t wait to try it!

Lovely and messy!

The Velvet Elvis burger consists of a handmade steak patty served on a lightly toasted sesame bun served with salad and a few optional toppings to choose from – bacon, cheese and peppercorn sauce. I went with the bacon and cheese toppings and decided not to opt for the peppercorn sauce, mainly because I wasn’t so sure how it would taste with bacon and cheese. If any of our readers have tried this combination, please let us know how it tasted.

The first thing I have to mention about this burger was just how juicy it was. As I picked it up and took a bite, the juice burst out of the patty and poured out on to my plate like a waterfall. The burger was not only juicy, but tasted fantastic and the patty gave off a very intense steak flavour – a sign that good quality ingredients have been used when putting the burger together. There was a slight hint of mustard throughout the beef and overall, it was cooked perfectly and still ever so slightly pink in the middle – the way a burger should always be cooked. The intensity of the steak mince together with the saltiness of the bacon was a great combination and there was just the right amount of melted cheese on top, despite the fact that the bun started to fall apart a little towards the end.

My only real criticisms were that it looked like it had been quickly thrown together and it wasn’t the most presentable burger in the world. The bun was also fairly standard and just resembled something I’d pick up in my local supermarket; however, the patty was juicy, well cooked and an extremely well seasoned, which is the most important factor in making a burger really stand out. Velvet Elvis have nailed it.

The insides…

I would also like to mention the handcut fries that were served with the burger. I could have eaten several portions of these – they were cooked to perfection and had the right amount of ‘crunch’ and the garlic mayo that was served with them was absolutely delicious – I even tried a little on part of my burger!

It’s easy to see why many consider Velver Elvis’ burger as one of the best in Glasgow. It’s been carefully crafted, cooked perfectly and served up in great, laid back surroundings. The bun could have been better and a little more care taken with the presentation, but I would still urge you to grab a friend or two, set a couple of hours aside and head along to Partick to try one!

Price: £9.50 (extra toppings £1 each)

Velvet Elvis

SUMMARY+ Well cooked and extremely juicy.+ Good size!– Burger bun was average.– Presentation could have been better.

Have you tried this burger? Did you love it? If so, vote for it in the ‘Glasgow’s best burger’ award by clicking here.

Talk to James on Twitter and tell us what you thought of this burger! You can also leave your own review and comments below. We want to hear from you! You can also leave a message or join in on the burger chat on our Facebook page.